Wednesday, May 19, 2010

The NYR Facts Of Life: #97 Matt Gilroy

For each player who suited up in a Blueshirt this season we will take the good, we will take the bad and take them both and see what we have. And what we have is come to the end as we reached #97, Matt Gilroy.

#97's #s: 69 games, 4 goals, 11 assists, even, 23 PIM.

Take the good: Gilroy started his Ranger career like gangbusters, what with that outstanding goal in preseason and fantastic first real NHL goal with Brian Leetch watching. He showed remarkable hands and a good view of the ice ... the moon was the limit for the Hobey Baker winner.

Take the bad: Well, Hobey came back to Earth quickly. He scored the last of his four goals on November 28th and went without a tally the rest of the way - a span of 43 (!) games. Torts sent him to Hartford for a spell, then brought him back, then made him sit and watch from the pressbox as Anders Eriksson took his sixth defenseman spot for the stretch run. At 25 years old you would think that Hobey would be in shape and have some consistency but he admitted that the transition straight from college was tough. And he paid for it by being forced to watch the final seven games of the season.

Take them both and then we have: Admitting you have a problem is the first step towards solving it so what we have is a work in progress. Over his 69 games Gilroy averaged better than a shot (82) and a blocked shot (77) a night so there is talent there, now he just has to find the drive to turn himself into a real NHL defenseman who can contribute night after night.

2 comments:

Anonymous
said...

Hobey is too soft to be a defenseman. They should unload him and get some value if possible and get a real defenseman. The experiment is over. Proof of this is even in his Worlds performance. His lack of stepping up and taking the body cost at least one goal. Probably would have been more if he played more minutes. He's a liability.

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